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Frederick County
Changeling *King: Ruller or the freehold. **Office Holder: TBD *The four seasonal Courts are: ***Spring Court: Focusing on hiding from the Fae by living amongst the mortals. They thrive on Desire. ***Leader: TBD **Summer Court: Seeking to strike out against the Fae directly. They thrive on Wrath. ***Leader: TBD **Autumn Court: Exploring the powers of faerie magic and the enigmas of the unknown. They thrive on Fear. ***Leader: TBD **Winter Court: Masters of deception and keepers of mysteries. They thrive on Sorrow. ***Leader: TBD Each of the seasonal Courts have two Contracts: one Fleeting, which affects the court's emotion, and one Eternal, which draws power from the physical manifestation of the season. *The four directional Courts are: **Court of the North: Become hard, detached, and ascetic; give yourself so little to lose that you are no longer attractive to the Fae. They thrive on Suffering. ***Leader: TBD **Court of the East: Accumulate wealth and power to be rooted firmly in mortal society. They thrive on Envy. ***Leader: TBD **Court of the South: Seeking enlightenment and joy in the Changeling condition. They thrive on Ecstacy. ***Leader: TBD **Court of the West: All life is war, and the virtuous must win. They thrive on Honor. ***Leader: TBD The directional Courts share a set of Contracts which allow them to find their way, sensing and manipulating the world around themselves both physically and metaphorically. *The two diurnal Courts are: **Sun Court: Believers in morals, the rule of law, and righteousness. They thrive on Shame. ***Leader: TBD **Moon Court: Valuing freedom and chaos, and reveling in what they have become. They thrive on Disgust. The Day and Night Courts do not grant their members access to any special Contracts. ***Leader: TBD *The two transitional Courts are: **Dawn Court: Creators of their own destinies and a better future. They thrive on Hope. **Dusk Court: Accepting of their doomed fate, but not going down without a fight. They thrive on Fatalism. Each of the transitional courts has a contract related to its own philosophy. Demon *Tyrant: Demon ruler of the realm. **Office Holder: TBD *Houses **The Namaru, the First House, who were once the flagbearers of God and bringer of His word. ***Leader: TBD **The Asharu, the Second House, who once watched over humanity like their own children. ***Leader: TBD **The Annunaki, the Third House, who created the world and the tools for those upon it to use. ***Leader: TBD **The Neberu, the Fourth House, who set the universe running like clockwork and could read its movements like no other. ***Leader: TBD **The Lammasu, the Fifth House, whose job was to inspire humanity to the heights of pure truth. ***Leader: TBD **The Rabisu, the Sixth House, who created and oversaw the plants and animals that were to serve under humans. ***Leader: TBD **The Halaku, the Seventh House, who destroyed when that that was created by the other houses was out of time and use. ***Leader: TBD *Factions **Cryptics: The Cryptics have used their time in Hell to think. They feel that if God is omniscient, then his creations would be as perfect as reality would allow, and since Lucifer was God's highest angel, then his rebellion was a part of God's plan. They gather knowledge to determine what is really going on and what they should do next. They dislike the Luciferans and the Faustians, approve of the Reconcilers asking questions (just not enough), and dislike Raveners' destructive tendencies. They were initially to be called 'Inquisitors', but this was changed during production, although there are occasional references to them under this name in some books due to editing errors. ***Leader: TBD **Faustians: The Faustians lust for revenge against God, who exiled them from heaven. Even without the leadership of Lucifer, they still try to awaken the human race to its true potential, but only so humanity can be used as a potent weapon in yet another war against heaven. The plots and intentions of a Faustian are often as subtle as they are dangerous. They have no patience for the Cryptics, their goals are directly opposite to those of the Raveners, Reconcilers can be friend or foe, and they can work with Luciferans (though they don't like to). ***Leader: TBD **Luciferans: The Luciferans still believe that Lucifer was right to rebel against God. Even though Lucifer cannot be found, they still follow what they feel to be his directives. Their leadership has divided them into three legions: the Legion of Majestic Liberation (who are searching for and attempting to free Lucifer), the Legion of Glorious Victory (who were organized to fight the Heavenly Host, but found no angels to oppose them), and the Legion of Stark Defiance (who secure supplies, resources, and safe havens for the rest of the faction). They dislike the Cryptics, can work with Faustians, consider the Reconcilers to be traitors, and consider Raveners to be enemies. ***Leader: TBD **Raveners: The nihilistic Raveners look at the broken world and wasted potential of humanity and believe there's only one option left: destroy everything. Some see it as a way to finally lure out God and his Angels; others see it as an act of mercy to a near-dead world; and many just don't care at all. They are enemies with all the other factions of demons, though they can tolerate the Cryptics (as the Raveners assume they will eventually stop asking questions and start breaking stuff). ***Leader: TBD **Reconcilers: The Reconcilers have used their time in Hell to reconsider their actions and the punishment that God meted out to them. Many have come to the conclusion that they were punished justly and that they must atone for their misdeeds; others simply feel that there is no point in continuing to fight a war they lost long ago against an omnipotent enemy. Now that they are free they wish to do some good, thinking that God might forgive them and allow them to return to Heaven. Even if he won't they might be able to help the humans, even fix things so the humans can have what they themselves can't. They are on good terms with the Cryptics and the Faustians, but are diametrically opposed to the goals of the Luciferans and the Raveners. ***Leader: TBD Hunter *Aegis Kai Doru: Aegis Kai Doru is a conspiracy of hunters who are descended from an ancient society and are dedicated to the use and protection of ancient artifacts that affect the creatures of darkness. As a conspiracy, members are granted the Endowment of Relic, able to effectively use the treasures the Aegis holds in its power. **Leader: TBD **The Scroll keeps records of the relics, enemies, history, and any other matters of import to the conspiracy; they also field test any new relics uncovered by the Temple. ***Leader: TBD **The Sword is the most populous of the three and has the simplest purpose: eradicate as many of the creatures of the dark as possible. ***Leader: TBD **The Temple guards and maintains the relics in the Aegis' control, as well as going out to find lost ones. *Ahl al-Jabal: **Leader: TBD *Ashwood Abbey: Ashwood Abbey is a compact of hunters, originally founded as a hedonistic society in Scotland. They have since evolved into an influential formal hunting club, seeking to track down the creatures of darkness for sport. **Leader: TBD **The Competitors who are in the Abbey simply to prove themselves the best and brightest at hunting down their quarry ***Leader: TBD **The Libertines who want to break as many taboos as possible in the process. ***Leader: TBD **The Pursuit who enjoy seeking the secrets and experimenting with the dark creatures they uncover. ***Leader: TBD *Ascending Ones: The Ascending Ones is a conspiracy of hunters that originally formed in Egypt to fight against the monsters of darkness and continue their efforts to this day, all the while keeping their activities and those of their prey from reaching the eyes and ears of ordinary people. **Leader: TBD **The Jagged Crescent work the least through spirituality, instead preferring to operate as street gangs, drug lords, or other forms of organized crime. They provide most of the money and resources the Ascending Ones operate through. ***Leader: TBD **The Knife of Paradise are made up of Christians, Jews, and Muslims who believe they are fighting a holy war, while at the same time maintaining peace and open-mindedness between the three ways. ***Leader: TBD **The Order of the Southern Temple have become intertwined with the ways and methods of Western occult traditions, particularly that of Hermes Trismegistus. ***Leader: TBD *Barrett Commission: The Barrett Comission is a compact of hunters that first appear in the book Night Stalkers. These hunters are dedicated to protecting positions and places of power throughout companies and the government. They tend to target vampires the most in the process. **Leader: TBD *Bear Lodge, The: The Bear Lodge is a compact of hunters that first appear in the book Spirit Slayers. The compact is dedicated to hunting down strange supernatural creatures, particularly werewolves, for sport. **Leader: TBD **Sportsmen hunt for the thrill and skill. ***Leader: TBD **Trappers hunt to keep werewolves from hurting others. ***Leader: TBD **Vigilantes exact justice on those creatures of darkness who have done wrong. ***Leader: TBD *Cainite Heresy: The Cainite Heresy is a conspiracy of hunters that first appear in the book Night Stalkers. The members of the Heresy are dedicating to revealing vampires and the powers to the rest of the world so that the world can rise up against the blood-thirsty "descendants of Caine" and destroy them. **Leader: TBD *Cheiron Group: The Cheiron Group is a conspiracy of hunters that exist as a company dedicated to capturing and experimenting on dark monsters to benefit their own technology and investments. **Leader: TBD **Field Research agents get to spy on other organizations, hunter, supernatural, or otherwise, looking for information (or other things) to steal back to the Cheiron Group. ***Leader: TBD **Recruitment agents look for potential employees, usually from other cells or compacts, to keep their own numbers up. ***Leader: TBD **Retrieval agents are sent to track down and capture supernatural creatures for usage in experiments. ***Leader: TBD *Division Six: Division Six is a compact of hunters that first appear in the book Witch Finders. They are composed of several cells of hunters who work for, but outside the United States government to hunt down the supernatural, especially "witches". **Leader: TBD **Department Alpha, which do the planning and logistics. ***Leader: TBD **Department Charlie, which does the intelligence work. ***Leader: TBD **Department Whiskey, who actually perform the operation. ***Leader: TBD *Hunt Club, The: The Hunt Club is a Compact of hunters found in Hunter: The Vigil. Rather than focus on the supernatural prey of the standard hunter, the Hunt Club focuses on hunting down and destroying the dregs and evils within humanity itself. **Leader: TBD *Illuminated Brotherhood: The Illuminated Brotherhood is a compact of hunters that first appear in the book Spirit Slayers. Members of the Psychonauts use psychotropic drugs to create and understand supernatural encounters. **Leader: TBD **The Children of Leary focus more on expanding the mind more than encountering supernaturals, although they have their fair share of nightmares. ***Leader: TBD **The Spirit-Seekers are the opposite, actively tracking down and investigating spirit encounters. ***Leader: TBD **The Watching Eye looks for humans who have become spirit-possessed. ***Leader: TBD *Keepers of the Source: The Keepers of the Source is a compact of hunters that first appear in the book Witch Finders. Based on New Age beliefs, their goal is to keep Mother Earth from coming to harm by stopping the supernatural creatures that draw from her power. **Leader: TBD **The Dynasts, of which Karen Redgrove is one, want to strike a balance between the two ways. ***Leader: TBD **The Children of Gaia are pushing to return the simpler, more peaceful ways that the compact began with. ***Leader: TBD **The Hands of the Mother are the complete opposite, displaying fury at any who would dare defile the world. ***Leader: TBD *The Knights of Saint George: The Knights of Saint George is a conspiracy of hunters that first appear in the book Witch Finders. They are a division of the Church of England dedicated to stopping the creatures of darkness and protecting humanity. **Leader: TBD **The Congregation of Foras tracks and find anything related to magic to better understand it. ***Leader: TBD **The Congregation of Malthus, the largest group, serve as the active witch hunters and warriors for the Brotherhood. ***Leader: TBD **The Congregation of Vasago keep up the basic operations by maintaining supplies and buildings, as well as maintaining the group's Christian front; a few members of Vasago also work as the Brotherhood's archivists. ***Leader: TBD *Les Mystères: Les Mystères is a conspiracy of hunters that first appear in the book Spirit Slayers. They are a confederation of cells that willingly learn how to talk to spirits, either for their own benefit or for a community. **Leader: TBD *Lucifuge: The Lucifuge is a conspiracy of hunters that are composed of humans descended from demons who, for one reason or another, have vowed to use their demonic powers to fight the monsters in the dark. **Leader: TBD **The Denial ones are the most common and the simplest in beliefs: the devil is evil, and they must do away with that evil to redeem themselves. ***Leader: TBD **Reconciliation members are a bit more complex; they believe they are not redeeming themselves, but rather their ancestor Lucifer so that he can rejoin God and put an end to the existence of hell. ***Leader: TBD **The Truth types are the rarest; they are the skeptics, curious as to the motives of the Lucifuge (both the person and the organization) and their role in the whole affair. ***Leader: TBD *Long Night, The: The Long Night is a compact of hunters composed of a loosely-gathered group of faithful Christians who believe the world is in the midst of the Tribulation, and they fight the creatures of darkness as part of God's holy army. **Leader: TBD **The Faithful work in the name of God, serving as His holy army. ***Leader: TBD **The Hopeless believe that they are beyond redemption, and can only save others from the darkness. ***Leader: TBD **The Merciful want to save as many as they can, even the supernatural, and try to purify the wicked instead of destroying them. ***Leader: TBD *Loyalists of Thule, The: The Loyalists of Thule are a compact of hunters descended from an old German secret society dedicated to finding the source of civilization. They now seek knowledge about the unknown, especially the creatures of darkness. **Leader: TBD **The Advance take the most active role in the society, hoping to lead the Loyalists and humanity to victory over the creatures of darkness. ***Leader: TBD **Scholars are the most common, and simply live to collect information on the supernatural. ***Leader: TBD **Penitents do the same, but will go to greater extremes, pushed by guilt and shame; they usually do the most illegal work of the group. ***Leader: TBD *Maiden's Blood Sisterhood: The Maiden's Blood Sisterhood is a compact of hunters that first appear in the book Night Stalkers. A secret society for college women similar to the Skull and Bones, they also happen to be hunters of vampires. **Leader: TBD **The Amazons are the front-line fighters against the supernatural. ***Leader: TBD **The Graces provide the support for the Sisterhood's more charitable works. ***Leader: TBD **The Pleiades are the national representatives and mediators of the group. ***Leader: TBD *Malleus Maleficarum: Malleus Maleficarum is a conspiracy of hunters that are a secret branch of the Catholic Church dedicated to using holy powers to eradicate the creatures of darkness. **Leader: TBD **The Brotherhood of St. Athanasius are less mental and more physical, preferring swift violence to careful investigation. ***Leader: TBD **The Order of St. Ambrose are the scholars and investigators, looking for information to assist the Malleus Maleficarum; they often cross paths with mages. ***Leader: TBD **The Order of St. Longinus are the dedicated vampire hunters of the group. ***Leader: TBD *Network Zero: Network Zero is a compact of hunters made up of contacts through an Internet network who do their best to use the media to unveil the truth about the mysterious creatures of the night. **Leader: TBD **The Army of Truth want humanity to know about the supernatural at any cost and are not above pulling stunts or pirating broadcasts to get their word across. ***Leader: TBD **The Record Keepers, which make up the majority, are the ones who capture and archive the material Network Zero gets. ***Leader: TBD **The Secret Keepers, on the other hand, want to keep the information on the down low, afraid that it gives the monsters an advantage to help them hide themselves and their giveaway features better; they will reveal the information, but only at the right time. ***Leader: TBD *Night Watch: The Night Watch is a compact of hunters that first appear in the book Night Stalkers. The Night Watch are made up of street gang members who attempt to keep supernatural influences, especially vampires, off of their turf. **Leader: TBD *Null Mysteriis: Null Mysteriis is a compact of hunters based on a loosely-organized group of scientists and professionals who use science and logic to determine the truth behind the creatures of darkness. **Leader: TBD **There exist the small group of Cataclysmicists, who are concerned with the rapid growth of the dark powers around them and want to take as much action as possible before the whole thing gets out of hand. ***Leader: TBD **The Open Minds, who want more fieldwork and pseudoscience involved. ***Leader: TBD **The Rationalists, who deal in more abstract thinking, theory, and careful approaches. ***Leader: TBD *Promethean Brotherhood, The: The Promethean Brotherhood is a compact of hunters that first appear in the book Witch Finders. They hunt down witches not out of a desire to protect humanity, but to steal their power for themselves. **Leader: TBD **The Cautionaries think that modern witch-hunting draws too much attention and the Brotherhood should wait until the ritual is perfected to perform it. ***Leader: TBD **The Experimentalists, living up to their name, perform bizarre and often insane rituals on witches in hopes of improving their chances of having the ritual remain permanently. ***Leader: TBD **The Orphic Temple practice old religions, rites, and ways in hopes of improving their connection to the Ritual of Hecate. ***Leader: TBD *Talbot Group: The Talbot Group is a compact of hunters that first appear in the book Spirit Slayers. Along with working with emotionally troubled youths, they also seek to track down and perform therapies and treatments on family members who have become supernatural creatures. **Leader: TBD **The Conciliators wish to harness the power of the spirits and those they influence to fight a much larger darkness that covers the world. ***Leader: TBD **The Exorcists treat the wolf-people as if they were inflicted with some terrible disease that must be cured. ***Leader: TBD **The Redactors believe that the proper treatment is to keep spirits from attaching themselves to the patients. ***Leader: TBD *Union, The: The Union is a compact of hunters made up of average, everyday people who earn an honest living by day and hunt the paranormal by night to protect the families and homes they've worked for. **Leader: TBD **The Home First who make up most of the Union are just that; they don't seek to pick fights, only protect their home turf. ***Leader: TBD **The General Strike are more aggressive, seeking out creatures of darkness to keep them from growing strong enough to affect their community in the first place. ***Leader: TBD **The Politicals, who are the most vocal and dangerous; they want to protect everyone from everything, be it a growing vampire gang or a company shorting its workers on health care. Of the three types, the General Strike and Politicals are particularly prone to reaching early ends, and most Home First members approach them with great care. ***Leader: TBD *Task Force: VALKYRIE: Task Force: VALKYRIE is a conspiracy of hunters that exists as a top secret United States government agency dedicated to hunting down and removing all traces of the unexplainable. **Leader: TBD **Operation ADAMSKI are the clean-up operation; they are the true "Men in Black", erasing and destroying information, circulating fake pictures or video, or doing whatever else is needed to put the public eye at ease. ***Leader: TBD **Operation FORT looks after entities that appear to be extraterrestrial and extradimensional, such as changelings, demons, ghosts, and good old-fashioned aliens. ***Leader: TBD **Project TWILIGHT works with supernatural entities that are human or nearly human, such as mages; they often do the most undercover work of the operations. ***Leader: TBD *V.A.S.C.U: The Vanguard Serial Crimes Unit, commonly abbreviated to VASCU, is a conspiracy of hunters who actively work within the FBI. They have jurisdiction over all crimes that involve serial and mass killings, and also boast an advantage other branches of the bureau do not have: all of their agents are naturally gifted psychics. These agents are able to channel their talents into VASCU's Endowment, Teleinformatics. **Leader: TBD **The Field Liaison Department helps handle agents working with local hunters, usually undercover as a member of the cell or compact. ***Leader: TBD **The Operations Department is the largest and most active of the three, doing much of the research, investigation, and capturing of target suspects. ***Leader: TBD **The Special Project Department handles extremely unusual or dangerous cases, particularly those involving killers of unusual supernatural strength or cunning. ***Leader: TBD Mage *Paths **Acanthus - Enchanters on the Path of Thistle, Scions of the Watchtower of the Lunargent Thorn in the Realm of Arcadia, Kingdom of Enchantment and Abode of the Fae ***Leader: TBD **Mastigos - Warlocks on the Path of Scourging, Scions of the Watchtower of the Iron Gauntlet in the Realm of Pandemonium, Kingdom of Nightmares and Abode of Demons ***Leader: TBD **Moros - Necromancers on the Path of Doom, Scions of the Watchtower of the Lead Coin in the Realm of Stygia, Kingdom of Crypts and Abode of Shades ***Leader: TBD **Obrimos - Theurges on the Path of the Mighty, Scions of the Watchtower of the Golden Key in the Realm of The Aether, Kingdom of the Celestial Spheres and Abode of Angels ***Leader: TBD **Thyrsus - Shamans on the Path of Ecstacy, Scions of the Watchtower of the Stone Book in the Realm of the Primal Wild, Kingdom of Totems and Abode of Beasts ***Leader: TBD **A sixth "Lone Watchtower" is rumoured to exist; if it does, then presumably those mages called to write their names on its walls would follow an unknown path. *Orders **Adamantine Arrow: Through conflict, one purges weakness and becomes greater than one could imagine. Claiming descent from the Ungula Draconis (or "Claw of the Dragon") of Atlantis, members of the Arrow say that their Order arose from the Exiles who protected the shards of the fallen Atlantis. Carrying both weapons that bring death and weapons that create life, the members of the Adamantine Arrow follow the Adamant Way which encourages strength and adaptability. Their name Adamantine refers both to durability of the Order's resolve and the lustrous shine of the Order's honor. ***Leader: TBD **Free Council: Modernists in every sense of the word, the Free Council claims neither ancient texts nor links to the ancient grounds of Atlantis. Instead they forge forward feeling that the sleepers have touched on the supernal in their culture and in their science and technology. By tapping into these sympathies the Free Council hopes to change the face of magic and revitalize it in this modern age. The Free Council began as small groups and cliques of Apostate mages who were taken with new ideas circulating through Sleeper society at the dawn of the 20th Century. The origins of these ideas were not completely new; mages were familiar with the concepts of 'republic' and 'democracy' and whatnot from the moment that they arose in ancient Greece. However, for the first time, mages seriously discussed the possibility that Awakened society might benefit from implementing these ideas among themselves. While these groups were somewhat in agreement with their disapproval of the feudal structure of Awakened society, there was no unifying banner under which these groups could organize; the Atlantean Orders of the day simply referred to them as the Nameless. That cause came in the form of an invitation from various representatives of the Seers of the Throne, who invited these mages to join them in toppling the Diamond Orders and sealing Sleepers off from their magical heritage forever. The emphatic nature of the Nameless’ response became known as the Great Refusal, marking them as intractably opposed to the Seers’ goals. The Diamond Orders, with considerable reluctance and concern about 'polluting' the legacy of Atlantis, accepted the Free Council as a valid Order. Nowadays, both the Atlantean mages and the Seers of the Throne refer to the Pentacle Orders. From time to time, when a Free Council mage or cabal commits a particularly spectacular error, members of the other Orders will rumble about how the incident proves that the Free Council is not worthy of inclusion with the Diamond Orders. So far, the Free Council has managed to keep itself together and its members in line enough to recover from such slip-ups, but the gossip remains... ***Leader: TBD **Guardians of the Veil: Simply put: Magic is a secret and not all, even among the Awakened, are truly worthy of its gifts. Vulgar magic and the paradox it reaps must be stopped, as these actions serve only to strengthen the Abyss between the Supernal Realm and our more familiar Fallen World. The Guardians of the Veil are the sons and daughters of the Visus Draconis (or, "Eye of the Dragon") and are therefore the enforcers and secret police of the Lex Magica and the Concilii that hold to its tenets. Often times social pariahs, the members of the Visus Draconis are considered spies and assassins by the other Orders. Over the centuries, they have honed the disciplines of disguise and infiltration to levels beyond the dreams of Sleeper intelligence agencies. They have developed 49 archetypal identities, known as Masques (in game terms, the Masques are based on all possible combinations of Virtues and Vices, though the Order does not actually recognize this fact in those terms). A favored infiltration/monitoring tactic is to temporarily intercept newly-Awakened who might be better suited among one of the other Orders and, after passing on some tantalizing question or other fact to the unaligned new mage, release him or her to be formally claimed by one of the other Orders; the other Order thus receives a new recruit who may or may not become a Guardian spy. The Guardians seek to keep the Diamond Wheel (their vision of the sacred path of all creation) moving, whole, safe, and in balance; in service to this vision, they make the sacrifices other Orders are unwilling to take so that all may fulfill the true destiny of magic. They also await the coming of the Heiromagus, who will unify Awakened society, seal the Abyss, and judge the Guardians' sins. ***Leader: TBD **Mysterium: Loremasters who hold (or seek) all the keys to all the doors, the Mysterium seek out knowledge for its own sake. The Mysterium claim to be organized from the remains of the Alae Draconis (or "Wing of the Dragon"), the researchers of magic in Atlantis. Now, they seek to reclaim the lost lore of yesteryear and to remember the lessons that the fall of the Awakened City teaches. However, they are keenly aware that some secrets were hidden for very good reasons. In some cases, the object of the search was not so much "lost" as "contained"; even the Masters of Atlantis were faced with foes and dangers which they could neither tame nor destroy, and the only answer available might well have been to simply imprison the threat until such time as a more permanent solution could be discovered. The secrets the Mysterium recovers are not made freely available to any querant. There is usually a price to be paid, more often than not including tests of discretion and loyalty on top of requests for goods and/or services. Knowledge without wisdom is meaningless, and few hold this truth as deeply as the Mysterium. The Mysterium’s mandate to recover lost artifacts and restore lost secrets to modern Awakened society may seem to put them in diametric opposition to the Guardians of the Veil, and indeed the two Orders often have heated debates over the fate of particularly… interesting artifacts and data. However, the Mysterium does make a point of making sure that querants are worthy of receiving the secrets in question, which mollifies the Guardians somewhat. ***Leader: TBD **Silver Ladder: Someone needs to guide and lead those who cannot lead themselves, and the Silver Ladder rises to the occasion. Basing themselves in the various groups of Atlantean priests and viziers collectively known as the Vox Draconis (the "Voice of the Dragon"), the Silver Ladder does not lead as kings but as the enlightened among the masses. They follow the Elemental Precepts which states that the Awakened must be united and that magic is the right of all humans who live. The Silver Ladder hold a unique perspective on the Fall: it was a masterstroke on the part of the Exarchs, making it much more difficult for the Oracles to find new allies in the Supernal War, but the 'game' is by no means over. The Silver Ladder spend their days planning a counterstroke that will equal or exceed the Exarchs' in cunning and daring: turning the Lie of the Fallen Realm back upon itself, and storming the Supernal Realms with the entire human race united against the Exarchs. Naturally, the Guardians of the Veil dispute the value of the latter half of the strategy, which forms the basis of the two Orders' persistant rivalry, but the Silver Ladder accepts this as necessary 'review' of their plans. The Silver Ladder also maintain an enduring rivalry with the Seers of the Throne, and not merely because the two Orders contest for the same weapon (all of mortal humanity). ***Leader: TBD **Seers of the Throne: As the Pentacle Orders seek to heal the rift between the Supernal Realms and the Fallen World, the Seers of the Throne seek to simultaneously place themselves at the pinnacle of the Fallen World and wipe all Sleeper society clean of any possibility of magic outside of the Seers’ control. They claim to seek this end under orders from the Exarchs, those Atlantean arch-magi whose folly resulted in the Fall. It should be noted, however, that the Seers offer an alternate version of the Fall and the Exarchs' role therein, usually painting the Exarchs as the 'good guys' of the story. All Seers Awakened in one of the same five Watchtowers known to the Atlantean Orders; proof, some say, that the Oracles have at least a few tricks that the Exarchs cannot duplicate. However, the Seers counter that the Exarchs contact them subtly, steering them away from the 'Atlantean Lie' and into the endless cycle of one-upmanship between Seer cabals (referred to as 'pylons') and virtually every other denizen of the Fallen World. ***Leader: TBD **Banishers: Less an Order than a category, Banishers are mages whose Awakening was twisted in some way, resulting in a mage who believes that all magic (and all those who use it) is evil and must be destroyed. Most commonly operating alone like extremely specialized serial killers, a Banisher will usually drift from one city to the next, target a careless mage or cabal and, after weeks of careful surveillance and compiling all detectable weaknesses, eliminate them. Any Library materials, artifacts and so on are usually either briefly studied (just enough to glean some minimal new insight into how ‘the enemy’ works) and destroyed, or destroyed outright. Certain Mysterium researchers have offered a theory regarding a fifth Atlantean Order, the "Timori", which arose after the Fall and formed the basis of the Banisher philosophy, though most Awakened simply accept that the Banishers were mentally or spiritually unable to accept the full responsibilities of will-working and focused on destroying the rest of the Awakened. As bad as lone Banishers are, Banishers who learn to work together can be exponentially more dangerous. Much as cabal-mates can cover each other's weaknesses (the Inferior Arcanum for each Path is a Ruling Arcanum for one other Path, as the most basic example), teams of Banishers can often eliminate enemies that no one of them could handle alone. Worse, it is possible for Banishers to form cults, attracting mortal followers and even Sleepwalkers, making the prospect of eliminating a Banisher cult a very dangerous undertaking. ***Leader: TBD **The Mad: Even more than the Banishers, some who Awaken are driven completely insane by Awakening, but their madness does not manifest in a form anywhere near so coherent as 'kill the evil wizards'. While not as blatant a threat to the Fallen World in general and the Awakened in particular as the Marauders, they are perhaps even more feared for their utterly unpredictable and amoral use of magic. ***Leader: TBD Mortals Vampire *''Prince:' Prince is the most common title for the ruling (or otherwise most powerful) vampire of a domain. Kindred use Prince in its original generic sense, stemming from Roman law, meaning any ruling monarch. (Machiavelli's The Prince also uses this meaning.) The term is gender neutral and is used for a ruler of either sex. Prince is a traditional but not always official title: many ruling Kindred use others, including Cardinal, Lord, Sultan and so on. Very few call themselves Kings, however. Normally, a city has a prince while a state/province has a King. However DC is the exception to this rule because of its place of importance and its power. **Office Holder: TBD *'Seneschal'': The Prince (King)’s right hand, the Seneschal is responsible for many of the night-to-night details of running a government. While the Prince (King) concerns himself with conflict in the city and making certain the Masquerade goes unbroken, the Seneschal makes sure that things run smoothly in the government itself. He is responsible for keeping track of the Prince (King)’s assets (and possibly those of the Primogen or other ruling bodies). He makes schedules and appointments and handles the many logistics required so that no elder feels that another is given preferential treatment. The Seneschal holds substantial power in the domain, for he often decides whose petitions are passed on to the Prince (King), who receives a court audience, and in what order. In some few but noteworthy domains, the Seneschal’s power is so complete, and he is so much better informed of happenings among the elders than the Prince (King) himself, that it’s actually a tossup as to who is the true ruler. **Office Holder: TBD *'Herald: 'The Herald is the Prince (King)’s mouthpiece. When the King or Prince (King) makes a decree, the Herald’s job is to make sure that all of the city (state/province)’s Kindred hear of it (assuming it’s meant for all ears…). When the Prince (King) convenes an unscheduled court, the Herald is responsible for alerting those who must attend. The Herald hands down judgment, represents the Prince (King) in proxy when she cannot (or will not) make a personal appearance, and otherwise serves as something of a “secretary of state.” The Herald is assumed to speak with the Prince (King)’s voice at all times. Some treacherous or ambitious Heralds use this fact to direct other Kindred to their own liking, making suggestions that others assume (incorrectly) carry the weight of the Prince (King)’s orders. Some Heralds who were less subtle than they believed have been executed for this very thing, so most wise Heralds remain more or less honest. **Office Holder: TBD *'Harpy: Unusual in that it is both an official and unofficial position, the Harpy is, at its simplest level, a member of the “Kindred elite.” Harpies represent a who’s who of Kindred affairs, the celebrities and fad-starters. Other Kindred look to Harpies to see who’s in and who’s out, and what positions and opinions are popular this season. A well-known Harpy can sway public opinion faster with a biting comment than some Princes can with a solid decree. **Office Holder: TBD **Office Holder: TBD **Office Holder: TBD **Office Holder: TBD **Office Holder: TBD *'Sheriff:' A combination police investigator, enforcer and inquisitor, the Sheriff is responsible for enforcing the Prince (King)’s laws and dictates, for bringing outlaws before the Prince (King) for judgment and — at times — for carrying out sentences. Some Sheriffs truly believe in the rule of law and believe that they serve their society and fellow Kindred by keeping the city as orderly as possible. Others love the position for the power it offers, as they are permitted to bully and push around other vampires, even those who would normally be too dangerous to touch. Some Sheriffs are clever, subtle investigators, while others are little more than bruisers with rank. **Office Holder: TBD *'Hound:' Quite simply, the Hound is the Prince (King)’s (or Primogen’s) muscle. If the Sheriff is a policeman, the Hound is an assassin or a leg-breaker. He doesn’t investigate, he doesn’t question. His job is to punish anyone he’s told to punish. In some instances, the Hound and the Sheriff are at odds due to their overlapping responsibilities. In other cities, the two are combined into a single position. While the Hound might be asked to carry out the official and public chastisement of a lawbreaker, that duty more often falls to the Sheriff. The Hound is normally employed when the Prince (King) wishes to skip over normal (and possibly public) procedure. **Office Holder: TBD *'Master Of Elysium:' In essence a combination master of ceremonies and groundskeeper, the Master of Elysium is responsible for maintaining a city’s Elysium, ensuring its readiness for court or other official functions, cleaning up afterward and making sure that word of specific Elysium-related events reaches those who must attend. The Master of Elysium is also responsible for enforcing the custom of nonviolence at such gatherings, and he often works hand-in-hand with the Sheriff or Hounds for such purposes. In many cities, the duties of Master of Elysium fall on the Seneschal or Herald. In particularly large cities, more than one Master of Elysium exists, perhaps even one for each declared Elysium. **Office Holder: TBD *'Promigen:' If a single position can be considered to be nearly as ubiquitous and representative of Kindred politics as the Prince (King), it is the Primogen. The Primogen (singular as well as plural) officially serve as the Prince (King)’s advisory council on matters of policy. The precise nature of that council varies from domain to domain. If the Prince (King) is both strong and especially tyrannical, the Primogen might be little more than a formality, a conclave of elders who serve to rubberstamp whatever the Prince (King) wishes to do. In most domains, they serve as true advisors, and most wise Princes (King) try to take that advice into account whenever possible, not merely because the advice might be good, but to avoid angering an entire group of elders. Some Primogen are powerful enough (or the Prince (King) they advise weak enough) that they can actually overrule the Prince (King) on certain matters. A few Primogen actually rule their cities, either through a figurehead Prince (King) or openly as a governing body. **Carthian Promigen: TBD **Circle of the Crone Promigen: TBD **Invictus Promigen: TBD **Lancea Sanctum Promigen: TBD **Ordo Dracul Promigen: TBD *'Prisci:' A Priscus is the “head” of a specific clan in a domain. This position is not an official one in the local governmental structure. Rather, it evolves organically as a single powerful Kindred takes responsibility for his clanmates. This can be a choice he himself makes, to seek power, or it might result from others of his clan coming to him with problems. As an informal position, the Prisci have no institutional power or rank. That said, the position does convey a substantial amount of status, and because it’s usually powerful and well-respected Kindred who attain the position, the Prince and other elders are wise to at least consider their opinions. Many Prisci also sit on the Primogen, but the two bodies are not synonymous; not all Prisci are Primogen, and not all Primogen are Prisci. Many cities have no Prisci, and many more have Prisci for some clans and not others. **Assamite ''(Antitribu in Camarilla or Sabbat Cities) Priscus: TBD **Brujah (Antitribu in Sabbat Cities) Priscus: TBD **Cappadocian (Antitribu in Sabbat Cities) Priscus: TBD **Followers of Set (Antitribu in Camarilla or Sabbat Cities) Priscus: TBD **Gangrel (Antitribu in Sabbat Cities) Priscus: TBD **Giovanni (Antitribu in Camarilla or Sabbat Cities) Priscus: TBD **Julii Priscus: TBD **Lasombra (Antitribu in Camarilla Cities) Priscus: TBD **Malkavian (Antitribu in Sabbat Cities) Priscus: TBD **Nosferatu (Antitribu in Sabbat Cities) Priscus: TBD **Pander (Only in sabbat controlled cities) Priscus: TBD **Ravnos (Antitribu in Camarilla or Sabbat Cities) Priscus: TBD **Salubri (Antitribu in Sabbat Cities) Priscus: TBD **Toreador (Antitribu in Sabbat Cities) Priscus: TBD **Tremere (Antitribu in Sabbat Cities) Priscus: TBD **True Brujah (Antitribu in Camarilla Cities) Priscus: TBD **Tzimisce (Antitribu in Camarilla Cities) Priscus: TBD **Ventrue (Antitribu in Sabbat Cities) Priscus: TBD *'Whip:' Perhaps one of the strangest of Kindred positions, the Whip is as informal a position as the Priscus. She is responsible for “inspiring” her clanmates to present a united face on major issues and to make their voices heard on local issues, to make sure that the other clans take them seriously. She is both a leader and a taskmaster, a figurehead and a bully. Many Kindred make the mistake of thinking of the Whip as an assistant to the Priscus. In point of fact, the two positions are independent, and oftentimes at odds with each other. A Whip succeeds only as long as she has sufficient power or leverage to force her clanmates to do as she wishes. Whips exist only in those cities with fairly large populations of a given clan, and even then only if a particular member of that clan feels the need to take the position. **Assamite (Antitribu in Camarilla or Sabbat Cities) Whip: TBD **Brujah (Antitribu in Sabbat Cities) Whip: TBD **Cappadocian (Antitribu in Sabbat Cities) Whip: TBD **Followers of Set (Antitribu in Camarilla or Sabbat Cities) Whip: TBD **Gangrel (Antitribu in Sabbat Cities) Whip: TBD **Giovanni (Antitribu in Camarilla or Sabbat Cities) Whip: TBD **Julii Whip: TBD **Lasombra (Antitribu in Camarilla Cities) Whip: TBD **Malkavian (Antitribu in Sabbat Cities) Whip: TBD **Nosferatu (Antitribu in Sabbat Cities) Whip: TBD **Pander (Only in sabbat controlled cities) Whip: TBD **Ravnos (Antitribu in Camarilla or Sabbat Cities) Whip: TBD **Salubri (Antitribu in Sabbat Cities) Whip: TBD **Toreador (Antitribu in Sabbat Cities) Whip: TBD **Tremere (Antitribu in Sabbat Cities) Whip: TBD **True Brujah (Antitribu in Camarilla Cities) Whip: TBD **Tzimisce (Antitribu in Camarilla Cities) Whip: TBD **Ventrue (Antitribu in Sabbat Cities) Whip: TBD Werewolf * <<<< BACK